The Fan which Controls the Fire
by Konichiwa Sucka
Summary: He didn't have time for distractions if he wanted to accomplish his goals. To him, emotions were a liability. But at the same time, emotions were the fuel to his actions. No one seemed to understand him and what he had to go through, except one girl who was determined to. Rated T for violent themes and spy activities. (modern high school life)
1. Chapter 1

**The Fan which Controls the Fire**

* * *

_We keep ourselves a mystery,  
but we provide the clues.  
So the rest is up to you  
and don't forget to check the obvious.  
We are so serious.  
So I guess it comes down  
to how curious you can be._

-Cute Is What We Aim For

* * *

**Chapter 1**

_Ouch. Training made me so sore today. I can feel my muscles screaming as I'm walking right now. Oh well, I must endure it. I still have a long way to go until I get home. Better yet, I'll run. Hopefully mom and dad are home early for my birthday._

_I don't remember the weather being this gloomy earlier. Strange clouds drift across the sky, creating shadows on the ground. The sounds of my soles hitting the floor are almost rhythmic. Buildings rush by as I sprint faster. The wind hits me stronger._

_What is this disorienting feeling? Police officers? At our house at this hour?_

_"Hi Sasuke, I'm terribly sorry. Something has happened."_

_What do you mean? I'm speechless as I stare blankly at these familiar faces. They tower over me with somber expressions, hesitating to tell me the news. Finally, one of them speaks up._

_"Your parents. They-"_

_I don't hear the rest. I can't hear anything now. I run to see for myself. It can't be. I refuse to believe it._

_I sprint as fast as I can, and then faster than that as I pick up even more speed. The rush of buildings making my head spin. The piercing wind sending chills down my spine._

_Suddenly, I'm hit with a blast of fire. Fire. It's all I see now. Larger than I could possibly imagine. It beckons to me. I see an outline of my family standing before me. This inferno, they're trapped in it. Even though I want to charge inside, I take slow and staggering steps. The flames flutter close to my skin, wanting to slice me with their red tentacles. They lure me closer, reaching out for me as I reach for them. I'm so close now._

_What? No... Someone is holding me back, but I struggle with all my might. I'm kicking and squirming as he carries me away so easily. I think I'm screaming, but no sound is coming out._

_The man is trying to say something to me. I look up and see him mouth, "Just relax. Everything will be okay."_

_No. It never will be... It never can be._

Sasuke woke up in a cold sweat, eyes tired from reliving the same dream every night. He moved to a sitting position and held a hand to his head. Letting out a small grunt, he got out of bed and headed to the bathroom where he kept the aspirin. There, he dry-swallowed two pills before getting ready for school.

* * *

It's a man. No, it's a woman. Is it his girlfriend? No, it couldn't be. This is Sasuke Uchiha. Sakura would know if he had one. Unless he lives a secret life. Could he possibly? No, his stalker girls would know and then the entire female teen population would know and that means Sakura would know.

She leaned over a little more to get a better look. His pencil strokes were beautiful, each line a masterpiece of its own. Who knew he was such a great artist? Well she knew, but after all these years, it still seemed impossible for someone to be so good at everything, which was probably the reason why so many girls fawn over him.

Maybe if she got a little closer, she could... Thud, she fell face first on the floor. Her cheeks flushed red, from both the impact and the embarassment. She laughed nervously as she got to her knees and brushed at her skirt. When she was done, Sakura looked up and made eye contact with Sasuke. She was so close to him that she was probably breathing on his arm. Gulp, his expression was unreadable, stoic as always; however, she could tell from his eyes that he wasn't too happy with her, not happy at all. Sakura looked away quickly, turning as red as a tomato and her heart beating as fast as a hummingbird's.

Wrong move, the girls were glaring at her for stealing Sasuke's attention. Oh well, all's fair in love and war, not that she won any battles today. With her head low, Sakura scrambled back to her seat before Sasori Sensei and Deidara Sensei realized what was going on. Phew, they didn't seem to care, but they were heading towards her direction.

The two teachers always contradicted one another, confusing everyone to no end. Their school scheduled 'fun' homerooms for the students, letting them relax before starting their academic subjects. Sakura was placed in a combined class, which meant fitting fifty students in one room under the supervision of two opposing art teachers.

Seated on the other side of Sakura, Naruto was confronted by Sasori Sensei and then immediately intercepted by Deidara Sensei. Poor Naruto, Sakura thought. With squinted eyes and a cocked head, she could tell that Naruto was having a mental battle about whose advice to listen to, which reminded her... Crap, she hadn't gotten much of her own done. She was admiring Sasuke sketch for so long when she should have been doing her own work. Nah, who was she kidding? It was totally worth it.

* * *

P.E. was her least favorite class of the day. However, she and Lee volunteered to stay behind and help Gai Sensei put away the volleyball equipment. It cut into lunchtime, but she was on a diet anyway.

Lee decided to have lunch with Gai Sensei, so Sakura had to go to the cafeteria by herself. When she walked out of the lockerroom, she heard a constant pounding noise. It sounded like it was coming from the weight room. Being the curious girl that she was, she turned the corner to investigate.

Sakura dropped to the floor at the sight of a certain raven-haired individual. She'd been falling for him a lot, literally. Slowly, her fingers crept to the window, and the rest of her body followed suit, stopping when she caught a look inside.

He was hitting a punching bag, arms and legs working systematically and skillfully. Sakura immediately noticed that he indeed was fully clothed, not that she wanted to see him without a shirt on. Or did she? Anyhow, she was in luck; he was wearing a white tee, which she assumed he changed into because he was wearing a black one earlier. Underneath, she could see his muscles flex with every punch. It was almost the same thing as seeing him shirtless. She wouldn't say he was ripped, but he was perfectly toned and model-worthy. She caught herself in her daze and mentally slapped herself for being so creepy. Well, who could blame the girl? She had a front row seat to watching the hottest guy on earth work out.

Realizing how concentrated he was, Sakura felt a sudden wave of guilt for stalking him. She decided to give him the privacy he needed. Little did she know that as she made her escape, he stopped mid-punch and turned to the window. Sakura had left just in time.

* * *

He was sure someone had been there, but he didn't mind as long as the person didn't bother him. He did, however, see a flick of pink hair. Indifferent, he continued prepping for tomorrow until the bell signaled the end of lunch.

He walked alone in the halls, one hand in his pocket and the other holding his backpack strap slung over one shoulder. No one would dare approach him, except for the occasional brave female and well, Naruto. Speaking of the blonde, Sasuke had his next class with him. He walked in and sat in his assigned seat, which was by the wall near the middle of the row. Shortly after, Naruto plopped into the seat next to him. Naruto knew better than to annoy him with idle chatter, so he made small talk with Kiba about how things were going at the animal shelter. Of course, by the time class had started and Jiraya Sensei had gotten into his lecture, he couldn't handle being silent for so long.

"How do you not notice those girls looking at you?" Naruto exclaimed exasperated, "They're practically drooling at the sight of you."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, staring at the front of the classroom.

"Any guy would kill for that, you bakayaro," Naruto mumbled and began doodling on his notepaper.

Sasuke, on the other hand, paid close attention in class, even though he had already finished the assigned novel and closeread it carefully. He was just a good student. He needed to be if he wanted to follow in his brother's footsteps. He also didn't have time for distractions.

* * *

Sakura loved Biology class, for several reasons. One, it was taught by her favorite teacher Tsunade Sensei. Two, she aspired to have a profession in the medical field. Three, it was a subject she could proudly say she was good at. Dare she admit it? Yes, she was probably just as good as Sasuke or even better.

Okay, maybe the main reason she loved Bio so much was because Sasuke was in her lab group. The third member of their team was Naruto, so she and Sasuke did all the work. It was surprising how classwork could bring them together, but Sakura definitely felt the bond and connection between the two of them. Unfortunately, it just wasn't reciprocated and Sakura was willing to accept that. It's true though that she didn't know a lot about him, but he was intriguing and she had liked him for as long as she could remember. She wasn't going to give up so easily.

Sakura rushed to class early so that she could chat with Tsunade Sensei about the recent biomedical technology. She heard whispers of "teacher's pet" as people piled in, which hurt her feelings, but she was too stubborn to actually back down. When she saw her lab partners walk in, she practically teleported to her seat.

"Hi Sasuke!" Sakura piped, smiling widely.

Impassive, Sasuke looked at her and raised an eyebrow slightly as if he was waiting for her to say more. She took it as his way of saying hi back, but grew nervous as he didn't stop staring at her.

"Umm so are you ready for the test today?" she stammered.

He nodded, which for him was a minuscule tilt of the chin.

She laughed nervously, wondering why she had to try talking to him. She knew how unresponsive he could be. All her attempts at getting him to open up have failed.

Seeming to understand that she had nothing to say or was just somewhat bored, Sasuke looked away.

Relieved, Sakura let out the breath she'd been holding in.

* * *

The test was so easy that Sasuke finished twenty minutes early and Sakura finished a few seconds after him. He picked up his backpack and asked to be dismissed early. Because he was one of her top students, Tsunade Sensei let him go. With quick strides, he walked out of class and through the halls. Smoothly with one swift motion, he jumped the fence and off campus he was.

Then he made his way to his motorcycle, which was parked in the student lot. He grabbed his helmet and put it on before taking off down the street. It was a fairly short ride, especially on his bike.

When he took off his helmet, he smirked. With every step he took, the wood creaked beneath his shoes. Finally, he made it to the end. He jumped over and onto the railing. He had a perfect view of the sea.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Fan which Controls the Fire**

* * *

_The closer you think you are, _  
_the less you'll actually see._

- J. Daniel Atlas, Now You See Me

* * *

**Chapter 2**

_"This will be your final test. It is the last step to completing your initiation. Are you sure you want to do this?" _

_I nod. Of course. _

_The man leaves and comes back with a scrolled map. He spreads it out on the table and begins the briefing. "Here are the schematics to the building. We want you to enter from the West entrance and-"_

_"Wouldn't it be easier to enter from the North entrance and down this hall?" I run my finger across the paper._

_"Hmm," he pauses and considers my suggestion. _

_"How reliable is your intel? Is this really one of their hideouts?"_

_"That's what we want you to find out. For this mission, we want you to break in and collect evidence on..." _

_I'm there now, the van pulling up into the alley. My nerves almost getting to me as I calm myself down. It's important that I succeed. _

_"Okay Sasuke, you're a go," my handler says into my earpiece. _

_I jump out the back doors and line myself against the wall. Grabbing ahold of my gun from my jacket pocket, I stealthily approach the building. I pick the lock and open the door carefully. That was much too easy. This doesn't feel right. Oh well, I need to continue with this mission. _

_Cautious now, I watch my step, checking for any traps or sensors. I switch on my flashlight, pointing it ahead of me with my left hand and holding my gun with my right hand. It seems normal. Much too normal. _

_I walk up and down the aisles of the warehouse. There's got to be something here, and I better hurry. I examine each container, hoping to find something. Maybe this one will be it. I carefully lift off the cloth. Slowly, I push open the crate. Woah, machine guns and grenades, illegally imported. I recognize the Russian markings and notice that the serial numbers have been filed off. I snatch my cellphone from my pants pocket and snap a picture. I got what I need. It's time to bust this joint._

* * *

Sasuke pulled on his bullet proof vest, slid a white shirt over it, and buttoned up a dress shirt of the same color. He tossed on a black waiter's vest and started equipping himself with weapons. Knives and guns were hidden up his sleeves and pants' legs, under his vest, and in his shoes and socks. When he was all set, he put on a pair of unprescribed glasses to complete his guise.

He disliked the get-up, but he would never complain. He snuck out through the window in his bedroom and leaped, falling two-stories and sticking a perfect landing. He took his motorcycle to the destination.

A prominent arms dealer was throwing a birthday party for his wife. Large parties hosted by dangerous men meant that the Akatsuki would be involved. And Sasuke needed information from the Akatsuki.

He made his way to the back, where the service people were directed at. Standing guard, two burly men stopped him by the door.

"Excuse me, we'll have to pat you down. Standard procedure."

Sasuke nodded and turned around, lifting his arms.

"All right Juugo, you take this one."

The one named Juugo felt every weapon Sasuke had on him, but didn't tell him to remove them. "He's clean."

Sasuke smirked at his accomplice and his gesture was returned with a small grin.

And like that, Sasuke entered the house. It was quite the living establishment. The average person might have taken a moment to soak it in, but Sasuke went straight to work. He grabbed a tray of hors d'oeuvres and walked into the large parlor. He scanned the room for any suspicious activity. Nothing yet, but he was positive the Akatsuki would be there. He just needed to do what he did best. Be patient and observe.

He weaved through the large crowd, only to be bombarded and surrounded by a group of young women who claimed they loved the hors d'oeuvres. Luckily, they grew bored of him quickly, being the apathetic boy that he was. While a few stray girls remained, Sasuke noticed a single man approach the owner of the house.

The men shook hands and the dealer signaled a couple of his bodyguards to follow them. With the bogey on the move, Sasuke followed, leaving behind some very upset females. He tagged behind as discreetly as humanly possible. The men stopped at the garage door and Sasuke ducked behind the corner. The dealer placed his hand on the scanner and a click indicated that his print was accepted. The door slid open automatically and the men stepped inside. Sasuke squeezed through before it shut right after them.

He maneuvered to the left and took cover behind a convertible, while the men walked forward and towards a large crate. Knowing their silent orders, the two henchmen hauled it open. The prospecting man examined the merchandise and asked questions about making a future purchase. That was enough reason for Sasuke to make a move.

With his right hand, Sasuke pulled out his tranq gun from his left sleeve, and with his left hand, he took out his semi-auto from under his vest. Taking careful aim from behind the car, he tranqed the bodyguards and the dealer in a matter of seconds. Each of his targets were cleanly struck with two darts at their necks.

Witnessing the people around him collapse to the floor, the interested buyer ducked for cover and pulled out a gun of his own. Sasuke jumped out and kicked the gun from his hands. He pointed his semi-auto at the man and motioned for him to put his hands up. He did as he was told, but quickly swept Sasuke's leg. Having let his guard down, Sasuke dropped his gun and the man reached for it. Noticing his hand, Sasuke hit the gun aside and pulled out another semi-auto from his vest. He always carried a backup.

He got up and once again motioned the man to do the same. However, the man was also a skilled fighter and wasn't going to give up that easily. Sasuke slowly walked towards him, gun aimed at the man's head. The man stalled by stepping backwards, away from Sasuke, until he hit the wall.

Now that his hand was inches away from the gardening tools rack, he snatched the rake and swung at Sasuke but missed. Realizing that Sasuke didn't intend on shooting him, he smirked and swung at him again, this time hitting the gun out of Sasuke's hands. He brought his arm back again, but Sasuke blocked the rake with his right arm and grabbed it with his left. Sasuke pulled it back and then forward, hitting his opponent in the stomach. He curled backwards and onto the floor, the rake now in Sasuke's possession.

He tossed it aside and tackled the man. On top of him now, he punched him hard across the face and reached for the knife in his shoe. Unfortunately, the man was much bigger than Sasuke, so he threw him off his body and put him in a choke hold. In the struggle, Sasuke's glasses fell and were crushed by their scrambling feet. Sasuke elbowed his assailant in the stomach and was freed.

In a circular motion, Sasuke was airborne as he performed a butterfly kick on the man's neck. Then, by jumping and exchanging legs, he brought down the back of his right heel onto his stomach. The man coughed and groaned as Sasuke grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him up against the wall. He held his knife at the foe's neck, slightly grazing him.

"I know you're a member of the Akatsuki," Sasuke started.

The man spat in his face.

Unflinching, Sasuke brought the knife deeper into his neck. "Tell me what the name 'Fugaku Uchiha' means to you," he growled centimeters from his face.

The man just stared, unwilling to talk.

Sasuke gripped his collar tighter and removed the knife from his neck, blood dripping from the blade. "Don't make me cut off a finger," he threatened as he ran the knife slowly across the back of the man's left hand. "Now I'll repeat it one last time, what does the name 'Fugaku Uchiha' mean to you?"

He only chuckled unafraid. "I don't know who you're talking about, but you know, you look an awful lot like Crow." He smiled and bit into his mouth, releasing a pill that poisoned himself. "Long live the Akatsuki," he murmured, foam oozing from his lips as he went limp in Sasuke's hands.

Shocked and disgusted, he dropped the dead man and stepped around the body so that he could regain his composure against the wall.

What did he mean by "Crow"?

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**Thanks for reading! Please review! **


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